Monday, August 27, 2012

It's been
another crazy week as we've had transfers. Elder Blackham left to be a zone
leader in an English ward, Elder Rodriquez returned to his area where he was
before his companion got re-assigned, and now Elder Walker is my companion. He
is a good friend of mine from my last area in South Bay and we both assisted
the Hermosa Liahona Ward. It's been cool to hear the success they've had in the
ward as they had quite a few baptisms and more coming on the way. We'll be
going back for a baptism this Sunday. So I'm getting excited to go back!
Anyway, Elder Walker is from Mississippi, and he has an unique southern accent.
In some way or another he speaks some really fluent Spanish as he's been
serving for about a year. He was made the new district leader here. He's got a
lot on his shoulders with a new responsibility and we both are going to be
learning the area together. It's been a struggle with our investigators this
week with Paula and her family as hardly got contact with them. It's so
frustrating but we at least know she has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and
Joseph Smith, I'm not too concerned. We had a good lesson with Sandra and her
daughter Stephanie this week where we established the possibility of baptism.
Because they like the church, they are considering it. Unfortunately they
didn't show to church on Sunday. I'm excited to work with Elder Walker because
he's very bold and has some great ideas to get our area moving. One special
thing we got to do this Saturday was doing service for a church who was handing
out school supplies for kids in the city. We were assigned to help fit shoes
for the kids. It took place in a parking lot in the middle of the day, and
there were thousands of people who showed up to come. It was the craziest scene
ever! People waited 3 to 4 hours in line to see if they could get a pair of
shoes. Many of the smaller sized shoes ran out really fast so it was hard to
tell the little kids that there was no shoes there size. But they had a lot of
really nice pairs and it was cool to see their faces when they tried them on. I
was grateful to help those kids that needed help. I am looking forward to this
week.

It was a
crazy fast week with some ups and downs. We are still struggling to keep
constant contact with our investigators, even though some are coming to church
like Sandra and her Family. We had a lesson with them watching the Restoration
Video. They were a little confused but
because they love church, the ward, and the doctrine of gospel, they know that
they will come to know for themselves that it is true. They are a really
special family. We've struggled to find Paula at home, even though we've set
appointments with her and she wants to go to church. However, we came to learn
a little more about their family through her daughter Carla who was visiting
with her 2 daughters from the projects in Watts (really harsh part of town, the
mission just closed off that area for missionaries due to violence). She
expressed to us the desire to read the Book of Mormon because Paula has taught
that it can really help her right now. She basically told her whole life story
with drugs, her ex, her job, her house everything! My companions and I were
blown away by her story. The special thing I got to do was to bear my testimony
of the Atonement to her and how all her guilt, pains and fears can disappear as
she puts her trust in God's plan especially in Christ. I promised her that as
long as she read from the Book of Mormon and prayed every day, she and her
family would be protected from any danger, as she lives in a very dangerous
neighborhood. She's been sleeping with a shotgun in her arms for a long time
and has had nightmares fairly consistently every week. I walk away feeling
extremely grateful that I've been raised in the gospel and have the opportunity
to spread the good news of the gospel. The last couple highlights of this week
include Temple Service, the missionary farewell fireside, and playing soccer
with the men in the ward. This last Thursday because the temple is closed the
next few weeks my companions and I got to do some pruning on several bushes and
trees that are in front entrance of the temple. We had tiny machetes to cut off
branches and we placed them on burlap sheets to carry them around to dispose
them. I had been a while since I worked that hard in the hot California sun.
It's been fairly hot here, but not as bad compared to what I'm used to back
home! It was fun to go to the fireside because I got to say goodbye to a few
missionaries that are going home AND say hi to my last companions (Elder Ditton
and Elder Cressman) and my last Ward Mission Leader Hermano Romero! Oh man I
almost cried when I saw him! Apparently a lot of things have gone down in my
last area, especially with my last investigators. Freddy and Enrique have
gotten worse with drinking and drugs so its no longer safe to see them anymore.
It broke my heart, but I know one day they will humble themselves so they can
feel happier in the gospel. Lastly this morning we played soccer with the ward,
and I actually scored a goal! Yeah I showed up a bunch of Latinos. I surprised
myself more than anyone. Well transfer are coming up this week so I will let
you know how it goes!

Os amo tanto!

Elder Marrott

Family

Ohh Aubrie.......I'm so sorry!! I can't even imagine what
you are going through. If you get the chance to share with me how you're doing,
I'd love to hear from you! I'm going to be sending you a letter real soon!

Were you able to view the pictures I sent 3 weeks ago?

I'm running low on black socks, I keep losing them in the
wash. If you could send me some I'd appriciate it.

Kurt: If you get the chance, do you think you could send me
copies of the music you had on your mission (ex: Paul Cardal and John Schmidt)
that would be awesome.

Another fast week this week with some fun experiences. We
had lessons again this week with Paula and her mom as well as Sandra and her 2
daughters. Paula seems to understand everything we teach, but she just has come
to church while Sandra is just beginning to learn and she came to church for
the second time this week. Just goes to show how people progress in the gospel
than others. I got to bear my testimony this week in sacrament meeting as they
had a meeting dedicated to missionary work. I'm glad that I got to do it as a
lot more members are coming up to talk to me more. The ward is super friendly
here and really excited about doing missionary work. For dinner on Saturday we
went to a place called Tommy's where they sell only Chile cheeseburgers.
Weirdest burger I've ever had but I was worth it. The best part about being in
the city is going on the roofs of apartment buildings and seeing the Hollywood
Sign and Downtown LA. It's so cool.

This week has been full of fun and
exciting news and experiences. Since the beginning of this transfer, we've
found quite a few new investigators that are interested in the gospel. One
includes Rocillo and her family. We had a lesson with her Monday night with her
nephew Omar and her grandma Socurro that live in Mexico. We taught the plan of
salvation and answered a few questions they had about the pre-earth life and
the difference between a spirit and a soul. We are meeting with them tonight
and hopefully receive their information so they can continue receiving the
missionaries in Mexico. With my new companion being a district leader, we've
gone on exchanges a couple times when he had meetings or to have interviews
with the other missionaries in our district. I went on exchanges with Elder
Hernandez, who is my grandfather in the mission. (He trained my trainer Elder
Ditton). He's from El Salvador and he's been serving in his area forever. All
the members of the ward are in love with him. Many of the ward events planned
for this week are too give him a farewell party as he leaves at the end of this
transfer. Anyway we had a really great lesson with a lady named Ita and we were
close to having her accept a baptismal invitation after teaching about the gospel
of Christ. I learned a lot about teaching with Elder Hernandez as he's a very
natural teacher and I wasn't hard for him to ask her to be baptized. As a
mission we are working a lot this week on the FUNDAMENTALS of missionary work,
and one includes the Doctrine of Christ which focuses on extending the
baptismal invitation in the very first lesson with a new investigator. This
really helps as we quickly address with our investigators that our purpose is
to help them come unto Christ which includes baptism. This week has been
special because I had 2 opportunities to invite our investigators to be
baptized. One was with Paula and her 95 year old mother Graciela who we met my
second day in Silverlake. But she's one of the "prepared" people how
address to us that she loved the Book of Mormon and the Restoration pamphlet
that we gave her. She took time on her own to find out about what it takes to
get baptized, and she read from Moroni 6 about not baptizing children until
they're eight. She really liked it. She told us directly that she wants to join
our church, even though we didn't teach anything or come to church yet! SO
PREPARED. We planning to have her and her mother be baptized the 5th of August.
She couldn't come this Sunday because she works really late at a rehabilitation
facility. She's coming this next Sunday and we hope to teach her a couple more
times this week as well. That's not all. This past Friday we had a lesson as
well with Luis, 21 year old who's been working hard to get his GED. My Companion
Elder Blackham and his past companion had been teaching him for about a month,
and he has shown a lot of interest in what we have to share. He's changed his
life around so he could be more responsible to take care of his family and to
prepare himself for the future. We were on exchanges again, and Elder Rodriguez
(who came into the mission the same day as me) taught him the plan along with
one of the young men in our ward Dave. It was a very spiritual experience even
though we did in a stairwell to an apartment. We invited him to be baptized and
he accepted. We're excited for him; the only thing that might impede him is
that he plays soccer on Sunday, so we are looking forward to teach him more
about the Sabbath Day. Basically the work has skyrocket here in this area, we
going to keep working hard to get our investigators to progress. The other
great thing about this area is the Ward. Barrio Cuarto is very organized and
very active. Last Friday, we had a missionary dinner at the church building
with all the members who are involved with missionary work; the ward mission
leader, gospel principles teachers, ward missionaries, quorum presidents,
relief society, bishopric. I'm excited to get to work with more members because
they are the key to accelerating the work.

Anyway, I'm been
having a lot of fun. My companion and I are very similar in personality but we
are very different in height. He's super tall 6'7! The Spanish is going well, I
don't know many words, but one way or another I can carry out a lengthy
conversation. I'm obviously still working on it, but I feel very comfortable
teaching and it's the best part about the mission. I'm back in a car area, so
I'm not biking as much and the members that feed us here, stuff us up. I love Latino
food, but man they make so much! Elder Blackham and I are working on running
more in the morning so hopefully we don't gain weight. Last I checked I was
still 135, hopefully it’s the same! The weather here is a little different than
it was in my last area as I was closer to the beach. Now I'm nearer the city
and there's more concrete and blacktop to absorb the heat. It's gotten to the
90s but it's not humid at all so I can deal with it.

Anyway that's all folks. I love this work and its helping me
become a more bold and fearless person. 2 Tim 1: 7 says "For God hath not
given us the spirit of fear but of power, and of a sound mind" I feel God
working miracles inside me and with the people we met. HOW GREAT IS MY CALLING!

OS AMO TANTO!!!!!!

PS. I can't believe I'm almost 1/4 through my mission
AHHHHH!!!!

Elder Marrott

Dad: Elder Blackham lives on the other side of state street
near 800 N and 400E by Provo Canyon. He said that they teared the whole school
down except the field house. Thanks for the info about the All-star game. I
forgot all about it. Yeah TONY! Try to
get Phil’s Ecuador address, I probably won't get send my letter to him before
he get's out of the MTC.

Mom: I haven't got your other letter yet but I'll get it
soon. Thanks for the photos of Cam's wedding everyone looked awesome! Keep up
with your running and the sales

Kurt: Happy Birthday! I'm going to try to get a letter to
you soon. Keep your head up.

Aubrie: Sorry I will try to write to you soon.

Missy and Ryan: I hope you all are doing well thanks for
keeping up my blog!

I hope you
all had a fun Fourth of July. I got to celebrate my holiday by being
TRANSFERRED!!!! Yes say goodbye to Lawndale, to Hermosa Liahona Ward and the
beach, and Hello to Silverlake and Los Angeles 4th Ward and to Downtown
LA/HOLLYWOOD. I was so hard to say goodbye to all the fantastic people, members
and especially my investigators other in my area. I was so excited to make a
lot of progress in my other area this transfer, but it looks like God has some
work here for me to do. Silverlake is a lot different than it was in Lawndale.
I am basically living in the Ghetto of HOLLYWOOD at the north-eastern boarder
of the mission. The area reminds me of a old rundown San Francisco the streets
are very hilly and they have some very cool views of the city. From the chapel
that I attend, we can see the Hollywood sign and the Griffith Observatory
pretty vividly, and Dodgers Stadium is just a 1/4 mile outside my area......and
my mission...I'm a little disappointed about that. I'm looking forward to take
pictures here because there are a lot cool, weird, and interesting sights. My
new companion's name is Elder Blackham and the first thing that I noticed is
that he is 6'7 ft. tall. Yep. He's also from Orem and attended Orem High, my
dad's alma mater. He's really awesome and he's excited to work the area as he's
not too familiar with either, so it's going to give us a chance to really learn
how to work an area. We've already found some really good potential
investigators and we hope that we can make some progress with them with the
time we have here. This week I've really learned that God truly works in
mysterious ways. I could have easily been distraught and bummed about leaving
my last area, but I know that God has a reason for having me here in
Silverlake, and I can already see why already. Wish me luck this week and I
hope that we can find more people here who accept the gospel.